Child Poverty

19. Kerry McCarthy:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on child poverty during preparations for the 2008 Budget. [191861]

Jane Kennedy:
Ministers have a wide variety of meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Governments practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Tax Credits

Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to make award notices easier to understand for tax credit claimants. [191851]

Jane Kennedy:
A revised version of the award notice, reflecting comments from the voluntary and community sector, has been in use since April 2006. Additionally, claimants now receive a two-page summary that explains the most important aspects of their award and tells them what information on their award notice they need to check. At the end of the year, a customer's renewal notice provides a full history of the changes made in the period of the award.

Child Benefit

Mr. Steen:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that Mr. Goult of Littlehampton near Totnes can continue to repay the lump sum child benefit payment erroneously paid to him and his wife in July 2006 by the Child Support Agency in weekly instalments. [192159]

Jane Kennedy:
HM Revenue and Customs is responsible for the payment of child benefit. Information relating to child benefit is strictly 6 Mar 2008 : Column 2794W
confidential and may only be disclosed to or discussed with the applicant. Correspondence regarding an individual's child benefit payments should therefore be sent directly to the Child Benefit Office, Waterview Park, Washington, Tyne and Wear NE38 8QG.

Child Benefit: EU Nationals

Mr. Philip Hammond:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many nationals of each A8 country were receiving UK child benefit for a child or children living in another EEA member state at the end of December 2007; and at what cost to the public purse; [183706]

(2) in respect of how many Czech children living in the Czech Republic UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available; [183707]

(3) in respect of how many Hungarian children living in Hungary UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available; [183708]

(4) in respect of how many Estonian children living in Estonia UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available; [183709]

(5) in respect of how many Latvian children living in Latvia UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available; [183710]

(6) in respect of how many Lithuanian children living in Lithuania UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available; [183711]

(7) in respect how many Slovakian children living in Slovakia UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available; [183712]

(8) in respect of how many Slovenian children living in Slovenia UK child benefit is paid; and how much was spent on those payments in the last year for which figures are available. [183713]

Jane Kennedy:
Around 7.5 million families are currently claiming child benefit for around 13 million children.

At the end of December 2007, there were around 21,000 ongoing awards to A8 nationals recorded as receiving child benefit for around 34,000 children living in another EEA member state. This equates to around a quarter of a per cent. of all child benefit awards.

The breakdown by nationality is as follows but these disaggregated numbers are only estimates and should be used with caution.

Country

Number of awards at 31 December 2007

Number of children included in awards

Czech Republic

102

160

Estonia

9

15

Hungary

38

64

Latvia

192

255

Lithuania

482

714

Poland

19,054

31,399

6 Mar 2008 : Column 2795W

Slovakia

951

1,667

Slovenia

2

2

The other information requested is not available in the format requested or is available only at disproportionate cost.

Damian Green:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in respect of how many children in (a) Romania, (b) Bulgaria, (c) Poland, (d) the Czech Republic and (e) Slovakia UK child benefit was being paid on 31 December 2007. [191197]

Jane Kennedy:
For information relating to claims from nationals of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia for children resident in another EEA country, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) earlier today (183706). At the end of December 2007, there were 13 ongoing awards to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals for 14 children living in another EEA country broken down by nationality as follows:

Country

Number of awards at 31 Dec ember 2007

Number of children included in awards

Bulgaria

9

9

Romania

4

5

Crosby Public-Private Forum

Mr. Philip Hammond:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent on the Crosby Public-Private Forum on identity management to date. [169862]

Yvette Cooper:
The total costs of Sir James Crosby's report of the Public-Private Forum on identity management, copies of which are available in the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office, were £702,870.39, including research, secretariat and sundry expenses.

Departmental Visits

Bob Spink:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions members of the public undertook tours of his Department in each of the last five years. [192014]

Angela Eagle:
The Treasury building at 1 Horse Guards Road is a regular participant in London Open House weekend. Details of other tours undertaken by members of the public are not held centrally.

Employment: Bingo

Bob Russell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed in the bingo industry; what forecast he has made of the size of that workforce in February 2009; and if he will make a statement. [191569]

6 Mar 2008 : Column 2796W

Angela Eagle:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 6 March 2008:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on how many people are employed in the bingo industry; and what forecast has been made of the size of the workforce in February 2009. (191569)

Employment figures classified according to industry are routinely provided using the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI). The figure provided below, using SIC03 is compiled from the industry classified as Gambling and betting activities (SIC03 code 92.71). Bingo is not separately identified.

In 2006 the ABI records that there were 96,644 people employed in Gambling and betting activities. Forecasts relevant to this question are not compiled by the Office for National Statistics.

As with any sample survey estimates from the Annual Business Inquiry are subject to margins of uncertainty.

Healthy Start Scheme

Stewart Hosie:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that people whose tax credit claims are being dealt with clerically receive promptly the Healthy Start vouchers to which they are entitled. [191572]

Jane Kennedy:
A process is in place to ensure that applications for Healthy Start from clerically paid child tax credit claimants can be processed by the Healthy Start Issuing Unit (HSIU), with case by case assistance from HMRC.

In addition, where a tax credits recipient first appears to satisfy the Healthy Start eligibility criteria TCO staff are instructed to refer the recipient's details to the HSIU who prompt the individual to apply for Healthy Start if they have not done so already. Periodic ongoing checks with HMRC staff ensure that they continue to be supported for as long as they remain entitled.

Work is under way to develop an automated mechanism which will speed up this process and provide a safety net for individuals who have not previously made an application for Healthy Start.

Iraq Conflict: Costs

Bob Spink:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has made to the US Administration on the repayment of costs incurred in assisting the US in the Iraq war; and if he will make a statement. [191161]

Yvette Cooper:
The UK seeks repayments from partner nations for their use of the MODs life support facilities in theatre such as catering and medical facilities. The UK in turn pays for any services provided to them. Beyond that, no representations have been made to the US Administration for the repayment of costs incurred as a consequence of the UKs contribution to the current military operations in Iraq.

Minimum Wage

Jim Cousins:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Revenue and Customs investigations 6 Mar 2008 : Column 2797W
into employers alleged to be paying less than the minimum wage (a) have been undertaken since 1999 and (b) were undertaken in each year since 1999; and how many criminal prosecutions followed such investigations in each year. [191629]

Jane Kennedy:
The total number of investigations into employers paying less than the minimum wage in each year since 1999 and overall, can be found in the following table. There were no criminal prosecutions until 2007 when two employers were successfully prosecuted.

Investigations

Prosecutions

1999-00

6,041

0

2000-01

7,256

0

2001-02

5,368

0

2002-03

6,238

0

2003-04

5,541

0

2004-05

5,155

0

2005-06

4,904

0

2006-07

4,235

0

2007-08 (to 31 January 2008)

3,300

2

Total

48,038

2

In the great majority of cases where minimum wage arrears are identified the employer pays any minimum wage arrears without the need for any formal enforcement action. Where arrears are not paid, an Enforcement Notice will be issued setting out the arrears that are considered to be due. An employer will then have 28 days to lodge an appeal and subsequently have his case heard before an Employment Tribunal. If the appeal is not upheld or the Enforcement Notice is not appealed against, the arrears become due.

Pensions: Private Sector

Mr. Hoban:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average value of the fund at retirement for people retiring with a private sector pension on the latest dates for which figures are available. [192075]

Angela Eagle:
No estimates are available. HMRC administrative data cover funds held by individuals in personal pension schemes only, and do not distinguish individuals at retirement.

Revenue and Customs: Employment Agencies

Mr. Hoban:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what payments have been made to employment agencies by HM Revenue and Customs on each day since 1 October 2007. [179069]

Jane Kennedy:
Listed in the table are the payments made by HMRC on each day since 1 October 2007 to employment agencies.